Bramley Baths
Building in Bramley, Leeds
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bramley Baths is a public swimming pool and the only remaining Edwardian bathhouse in Leeds.
| Bramley Baths | |
|---|---|
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 Interactive map of the Bramley Baths area | |
| General information | |
| Location | Broad Lane, Bramley, Leeds |
| Coordinates | 53.81420°N 1.63873°W |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Owner | Leeds City Council |
| Management | Bramley Baths & Community Ltd |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | J Lane Fox[1] |
| Website | |
| bramleybaths | |
History
Bramley Baths was opened in 1904, in what was originally a steel foundry. It was one of 8 public baths were built in Leeds during 1899–1904[2] in response to a Cholera Epidemic, it provided a facility that allowed people to wash, swim and use Russian style Steam Baths – a fashionable pastime for Edwardians. It is now the only one of those 8 public baths remaining.[3] In the early 20th Century, it was not always affordable to heat the pool so between the 1920s and 1960s it was boarded over during the winter months and used as a dancehall.[3]
In 2011 Leeds City Council announced plans to reduce the opening times of Bramley Baths from 90 to 48 hours a week; due the possibility of the baths being closed entirely, a community group "Friends of Bramley Baths" was established and applied to take over the lease of Bramley Baths through a Community Asset Transfer scheme.[4] Friends of Bramley Baths took over the running of the pool at the start of 2013 with the change marked by a "fancy dress plunge" event on New Years Day[5] where participants were offered a free swim if they jumped into the pool in fancy dress.[4] After the community group took over the running of the pool, it went from making an annual loss to an annual surplus[6] and opened for 105 hours a week.[7]
Architectural features
The chimney from the original iron foundry is visible across Leeds.[4]
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